Method of and apparatus for the recovery of explosives from shells



March 26, 1929. .1. H. ROBERTS METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY OF EXPLOSIVES FROM SHELLS Filed Nov. 1s. 192e wm. h ,uw k $5 (1&5

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Patented Mar@ 26, 1929.

AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H, ROBERTS,v 0F

NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK W.

OLIN, 0F EAST ALTON, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF A N D APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY OF EXPLOSIVES EROM SHELLS.

Application led November 13, 1926. Serial No. 148,117.

My invention relates to new and useful improvement-s in the method of an apparatus for the recovery of explosives from shells and has for an object to provide. a method and apparatus whereby the explosives may be recovered from the shells much more speedily than has heretofore been possible.

Still another-object of the invention is to recover the explosives from shells in a Way that will be far less dangerous than the methods n ow employed.

Heretofore, it has been possible to extract the explosives from the shells by running water into the shell to dissolve the explosive, but the recovery of the ammonium nitrate from the solution by heat is a rather dangerous one and the crystals are somewhat hard to recover. Also the tri-nitrotoluenc had to be recovered by gravity as it is insoluble.

in Water. 1

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus whereby heated organic solvents are run into a plurality of shells to allow the explosives to dissolve andform a saturated solution, after Whichthe solvent is allowed to cool and the crystals recovered are then passed into' a centrifuge and thoroughly or partially dried.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and to use severa-l forms of solvents for the recovery of the explosives, the choice of the solvents depending upon the type of explosives in the shells.

As is well known, the United States War Department often sells a large number of shells and projectiles which contain explosives, which explosives have a commercial value provided they may be economically recovered or extracted from the shells.

Still another object to be mentioned is to provide a method and apparatus whereby a relatively large number of shells, say 800 or 1,000 may be treated by placing them in a tank and subjecting the explosives therein to a hot organic solvent, so that after a couple of hours of time, a saturated solution is obtained, after which the solution is allowed to cooland the explosive crystals or salts recovered and dried.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain new and novel methods and arrangements and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawin showing one form of apparatus for carrymg out my new and improved method:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the apparatus and a plurality of shells in position showing the manner in which the explosives are recovered.

drawings show only one form of apparatus and in fact only show as much of that ap aratus as is necessary to illustrate how a few shells are placed in a'tank and treated while in actual practice the tanks and headers and other parts will be large enough and numerous enough to carry out the method with say 1,000 shells at the one time.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a portion of the platform 1, on which there will be cornstructed a large tank 2, which may have a capacity of say 1,000 gallons. This tank is also closed on its top and may have the cap 3 therein so that fresh solvent may be placed in the tank when necessa Arranged in the bottom of this tank may be seen a heating coil 4, having the inlet pipe 5, which will extend to a heating plant (not shown). This tank 2 has a solvent outlet pipe 6, which leads to a header 7, and in actual practice there may be a large number of these headers, although I have only shown one for the sake of clearness of illustration. There may be a number of small Aoutlet pipes .8 from the header to each of which there will be connected a small pipe 9.

Directly under this header there is shown a part of another platform 10, on which platform there will be mounted another large tank 11, in which the plurality of ,shells will be placed to be treated. This tank 11 a-lso is supplied with hofl water by the inlet pipe 12, which pipe may be for convenience connected with the supply pipe 5, which will be remembered suppliesI hot water to the heating coils 4.

The object of having hot water in the tank 11, is to transfer some of the heat to the shells, so that the explosive in the shells will more readily dissolve when treated with a. solvent. as will be shortly described.

Of course the level of the water in the tank 11 must not extend above the top of the shells, so I provide an overflow pipe 13, which may lead to a return hot water supply pipe 14. u

Extending below the platform 1s a large return pipe 15, which in turn extends to what I term a working tank 16, also mounted on a small platform 16. This tank is also closed-as it is a desire to prevent any fumes or gases escaping to the atmosphere.

Leading from the working tank is the large pipe 17 in which may be positioned a pump 18 and if desired a valve 19; this pipe 17 leads from a point at the side and near the upper portion of the tank or it may be plafad at the top of the working tank if desire Referring again to the tank 11, there will be noticed a plurality of shells 20, each of which have had their adapters or fuses removed so that a small cap (see Fig. 2) 21 may be placed in the nose lof the shell, through which cap will extend a small supply pipe 22, that may be fastened by a union 23 to the inlet pipe 9, and likewise a further tube 24 extends through the explosive 25 to the bottom of the shell While at its top it is fastened to a small union 26, which in turn is connected to the pipe 27 that leads into the large return main 15.

It is to be understood at -this pointhow ever, that the cap 21 and the two pipesexf tending in the cap and the manner of connectin'g by unions to the pipe 9 is simply illustrative of one form of device for leading the solvent into the shells and any other preferred form of placing these pipes in the shell and sealing the nose of the shell might be also used.

Referring for the moment to the working tank 16, there is shown an outlet pipe 28, with a valve 29 thereon, and a pipe 30 that leads to a centrifugal drier or separator, better known as a centrifuge 31, which has a drive shaft 32, which in turn is suitably driven. An outlet pipe 33 from the centri-1 fuge is shown, whichis also provided with a. 3-Way valve 34, so that the solvents to be shortly described may either be discharged or may be driven through the pipe 35 back into the solvent tank 2.

In the main return pipe 15, at one end is shown a small discharge pipe 36, so that samples of the solution may be taken at various tlmes.

As far as the specification has proceeded it will be seen that I have provided a solvent tank with a heating coil therein, a tank for holding the shells which will also have hot water therein, a working tank and a centrifuge which will be normally out of operation, so that the solvent in the tank 2 may pass into the shells, run into the working tank and again pass up into thesolvent supply tank. Thus the solvents about to be described may be forced through the shells, pass into the working tank and a in pass to the supply tank and again throng the shells, as long as deemed necessary.

Referring now to the solvent, solute and the method of recovering the solute, or explosives, it might be mentioned4 that most of the shells are filled with ammonium nitrate NILNO3 and tri-nitrotoluene (31H, (NO2), which is commercially known'yas T. N. T. The shells often contain 50% of the one and 50% of the other and the explosive is known as amatol.

It will be understood that the explosive is in a solid condition when in a shell and is in the form of a hard crystal mass, which might be likened in form to a lump of maple sugar.

In some instances the shells are loaded with 80% of ammonium nitrate and 20% of tri-nitrotoluene. If it is desired to recover the explosives in shells that are loaded with 80% ammonium nitrate and i 20% of T. N. T., I use a of 95% grade commercial ethyl alcohol CZHOH. IThis alcohol is placed in the solvent tank 2 and I may use an where from five hundred to one thousan gallons depending upon the amount of shells to be treated.

The solvent is then heated anywhere up to about 70 degrees C., but in any event not above its boiling point, and the shells are also lheated externally by hot water in the tank 11, which water is at about 70 degrees C.

It will be noticed that the solvent tank is elevated with regard to the tank containing the shells and this solvent flows through the shells for a period ofabout two hours, it continuously flowing through the three tanks and inlets and outlets as heretofore described. The temperature of the solvent is kept at all times near the 70 degrees C. The alcohol dissolves the ammonium nitrate and the heat also causes the T. N. T. to dissolve into the solution and I have foundthat of the tank 16 tol crystals passed into the centrifuge where Here the solution is allowed to cool so that the crystals will form in this work/lng tank, after which the solvent. free fxtlyflie greater part of the solut is pumpe rom the top the tank 2and the wet they are rapidl dried and then stored up Vor pac ed for shipment.

It might be mentioned at 'this point that when the crystals are recovered they are recovered in a non-com act or loose form rather than in a mass ormation. This 1s one ofA the most important features of the present invention, as the'crystls after being dried mayl be used in their recovered form,

may kbe either for the manufacture ofexplosives or` for use with dynam'te. y

In most of the met ods new in use, where only water or steam 1s used, the solutes have to be dried in a grainer as they are recovered in a thick mass formation, rather than in oose crystal form as in the present invention.

Should the shells be lo\aded with 50% of ammonium nitrate and @0% of tri-nitrotoluene or T. N. T., I use a solvent consisting of 90% of 95% grade alcohol, together with '10% f benzol, because I have found that this addition of benzol increases the solvent action fwhen T. N. T. is present. The action through the tanks and the recovering of the explosive of course is in the same manner.

Should the shells contain only T. N. T., I may use a solvent consisting benzol or I have also, found that carbon tetrachloride (CCL4) may be used with good effect as a solvent for shells loaded with T. N. T. The temperature should be closely watched as the boiling point of the carbon tetrachloride is 76.7 degrees C.

It is of course known that the vapors from benzol and the liquid are inflammable and when this is used the supply lines must be air tight, whereas'if carbon tetrachloride is used'this is not an inflammable liquid and such great care does not have to be used.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have produced a method of and apparatus for the rapid recovery of explosives from shells and wherein a large number of shells may be subjected to t-.he treatment at 'the one time.

Furtl1ermore,.the recovery of the explosives by causing them to dissolve in certain organic solvents, permits the entire amount of explosives to be extracted from the shells and again it is not necessary to subject the recovered ammonium nitrate crystals to heat to drive off the water, as in the old form, so that the danger of explosions are greatly reduced, as the only heat in the present method is produced by coils through which hot water may be run to heat the solvents and shells.

running ofi' apart of a higher content of` fuge to thoroughly dry the same.

v with 'explosive crystals to the Lastly the solutes go into solu-` tion more quickly when the solvents mentioned are used rather than when water or steam are used, and thegcrysta'ls may be quickly and safely partially dried in the centrifuge. 'l f ltwill also be understood that the apparatus for the recovery Imight be built in several units, so that while one unit is cooling, the other unit may be working.

I do not wish to confine myself to the exact organic solvents mentioned as others might be found to be of value, nor do I wish to be limited apparatus as shown, as many slight changes might be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patents is 1. The methodrof recovering a solidified explosive from a shell, consisting of placing the shell with its open end directed upwardly, sealing two pipes in the open end of the shell and forcing a hot organic solvent into and out of the shell, cooling the solution that has passed through the shell and then ning the resultant crystals through a centrifuge to recover and dry the same.

2. The method of recovering solidified explosives from shells which consists in sealing two pipes within the mouth of the shell and forcing a hot organic solvent within the shell and then forcing the hot organic solvent out of the shell, cooling the solution so that the solutes are in aI loose crystal form and subjecting the loose crystal solutes to a centri- 3. The method of recovering solidified explosives from shells which consist in subjecting the explosive in the shell to a continuous flow of heated alcohol for a period of approximately three hours, the alcohol the dissolved explosives therein ,retained in a tank and allowed to cool, so that the crystals will form, removing the cool alcohol and then subjecting the wet loose action of a drier.

4. The method of recovering solidified explosives from shells which consist in subjecting the explosive in the shell to a continuous flow of alcohol heated to a temperature of degrees for a period of approximately three hours, the alcohol with the explosives therein retained in a tank and allowed to cool, so that the said crystals will form, removing the cool alcohol and then subjecting the wet loose explosive crystals to theaction of a drier.

5. The method of recovering an explosive of of ammonium nitrate and 20% of tri-nitrotoluene from-shells that consists in running a 100% of .95% grade of heated ethyl alcohol in the shells, draining the sol lution from the shells, cooling the solution the solution and runto the exact structure ofdissolved and draining off the solution, recovering the resultant explosive crystals in non-compact form and subjecting the same to a drier.

6. The method of recovering an explosive from shells, which explosive is made up yof,

ammonium nitrate andtri-nitrotoluenc andknown as amatol, which consists in sub'ecting the ex losives to a solvent, heate to about 70 egrees C., continuously passing the solvent through the shellsfor approximately two hours, coolingthe solvent and draining off the same 'and subjecting the loose crystals of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene to a drier.

7. The method of recovering amatol from shells which consists in providing a tank supplied with an organic solvent, heating the solvent, heating the shells, running the solvent into and out of the shells to a working tank, passing the solvent from the working tank back to the solvent tank and Iagain to the shells, the solvent being'heated to approximately 70 degrees C., the exterior of the shells heated to 70 degrees C., drawin lall the solution to the working tank an allowingthe solutlon to cool to recover the loose crystals of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene ing 'the crystals to a centrifuge.

8. The method of recovering amatol from shells which consists in subjecting the amatol to a heated solvent, heating the shells, from the exterior b hot water draining the soz" lution from t e shells, cooling. the solution and draining o the same, recovering the amatol in the form of loose crystals and subjecting the same tol a drier.

9. The method of recovering amatol from shells which 'consists in subjecting the explosives to the ilow of an organic solvent, cutting oif the ow of the solvents and draining all Ithe solution to a working tank, allowing the solvents to cool and drawing off the from the solution and subjectgreater part of thesolutionafter crystals of ammonium nitrate and losives to a drier.

posed of crystals o two ex 10. An apparatus for t e recovery of ex plosives from shells which consistsl of'ka tank, adapt-ed to contain 'a solvent, afurther tank adapted to -contaixi the shells and means adapted to permita flow of 'solvent from the tank ,through the shells,

ing with .thetank oontainin the shells and lthe working tank, means or heating the solvent tank and means for heating the tank containing the shells and means for forcing a solution from the working tank to the solvent tank and a certrifuge connected with the working tank.

11. An apparatus for recovering high explosives from shells which comprises a tank for organic solvents, a tank for the reception of shells and a worki tank, means for heating the solvent tan and means for heating the tank for the shells, means for connecting the shells with the solvent tank and means adapted to extend from the shells to the working tank, means connecting the Working tank .with the solventtank and a pump in thesaid means.

T. N. T. are formedy 'and then subjectin the mass which is eo'mmeans connect- 12. An apparatus for recovering high exy losives from shells which comprises a tank or solvents, a .tank for the reception of JOSEPH H. ROBERTS. 

